Jaguar Unveils First Purpose-built Design Studio in Its 84-year History
Jaguar designers from around the globe converge in a single location to develop new tech and trends.
After 84 years of using multi-purpose facilities, Jaguar has unveiled its first dedicated design studio. According to Jaguar, the 129,166 square foot Jaguar Design Studio in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom, brings together a team of 280 designers to streamline design processes and maximize productivity and collaboration.
To improve its efforts, Jaguar reaches outside the auto industry to create new products and tech, hiring professionals from an array of backgrounds, including fashion, sports, and gaming. Few other car manufacturers boast such a motley crew to lead their efforts into the next decade and beyond.
Central to the efforts of Jaguar to become an innovator in the luxury industry, Jaguar’s studio includes the “Heart Space,” a collaborative center that allows designers to meet in-person without the hassles of teleconferencing or connecting remotely. The “Heart Space” features “The Electric,” a massive 4K digital screen that spans 36 feet and showcases new ideas and information. Virtual reality systems and floor space for up to 20 clay models for on-the-fly design purposes give the studio the moniker of the most advanced design studio in the world.
‘We truly believe that inspiration comes from interaction and collaboration. Our studio is fitted with the latest technologies but, just as important, is the diversity of human expertise and our passion for Jaguar which helps us design the extraordinary.’
For the first time ever, the clay model spaces are each 65.6 feet long and allow designers to see both interior and exterior models side by side. Floor-mounted CNC routers, giving designers an efficient way to sculpt the clay. Providing the finishing touches and surrounding the “Heart Space” are six workspaces including environments for Technical Design, Design Visualization, Interior, Exterior, Color, and Materials.
“The new facility brings the entire design team together in one hugely creative space,” says design director Julian Thomson. “We truly believe that inspiration comes from interaction and collaboration. Our studio is fitted with the latest technologies but, just as important, is the diversity of human expertise and our passion for Jaguar which helps us design the extraordinary.”
Dubbed Studio 3 and Studio 4, the new design studio’s two buildings complement the original Studio 1 and Studio 2 at Jaguar’s Whitley, U.K., facility. Studio 3 primarily for clay-sculpting and collaboration, while Studio 4 boasts a multi-level room to see each new Jaguar vehicle design at different lights and angles. The three-tiered Studio 3 Three huge skylights flood the showroom and an outdoor area to supply natural light for a more in-depth view of each model in its natural environment.
The main studios are named Studio 3 and Studio 4 in tribute to the numbers of the Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-types of 1957 and 1956 respectively. The strategic naming approach is continued in the meeting rooms, with half named after iconic Jaguar models and the other half taking their names from important people in Jaguar history, including founder Sir William Lyons, designer Geoff Lawson and the actor Steve McQueen.
Virtual reality is another modern upgrade to the new Jaguar Design Studio. A computer-aided surfacing team and design visualization and animation team work together to turn sketches into full-fledged animations. With this system in place, engineers and designers can test their ideas at speeds once thought impossible and get instant feedback from colleagues and supervisors. Advanced material technology will also become an integral part of the studio. With the work of the Colors and Materials team, Jaguar will identify sustainable resources for their vehicles, as well as the minute touches that make Jaguar a leader in the luxury automotive industry.
“The whole studio has been conceived to refine the design process and make it even more dynamic while maintaining the heart and soul of Jaguar,” adds Alister Whelan, Jaguar’s Interior Design Director. “We consulted the entire design team to create our new home together as a family. That’s a key part of our ethos because we want to encourage even more collaboration and synergy between different design disciplines in the studio, with the community Heart Space at its core.”